By Christina Clark-Kazak
Three initiatives aimed at lowering the voting age in Canadian federal elections are reigniting conversations about youth enfranchisement.
A group of young people is suing the federal government, claiming that disenfranchisement of those under 18 is unconstitutional.
NDP MP Taylor Bachrach has introduced a private members bill to lower the voting age to 16. The first reading in the House of Commons was completed late last year.
A similar act (Bill S-201) to amend Canada’s minimum voting age from 18 to 16 is currently at second reading in the Senate. Sen. Marilou McPhedran introduced a similar bill in 2021 and it passed second reading. But the fall 2021 election put an end to that process.
This is the 11th attempt to lower Canada’s voting age since it was changed from 21 to 18 in 1970.
Some municipal and provincial jurisdictions in Canada have considered lowering their voting age. So have other countries, including the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand.
Thirteen countries, ranging from Brazil to Nicaragua, Ecuador, Austria, Estonia and Malta, already have voting ages under 18. The Council of Europe has urged its member countries to follow suit.
In Canada, the federal NDP and Green Party publicly support a younger voting age. The federal Conservative, NDP and Liberal parties already allow members as young as 14 to vote in leadership contests.
Proponents of the bills in Parliament and the Senate, and the applicants to the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, hope to build on this momentum.
There are four main arguments for lowering the voting age:
1. Youth most affected by today’s pressing issues
Many of the key issues of today — like climate change, environmental degradation, the COVID-19 pandemic and social and racial justice — have serious consequences for young people, now and in the future.
Many leading Canadian and international environmental advocates are under the age of 18. Autumn Peltier, for example, was named Chief Water Commissioner for the Aniishnabek Nation at the age of 14 and addressed the United Nations General Assembly at age 13 and 15.
Children and young people have disproportionately experienced the education, health and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many young people under the age of 18 are actively involved in social justice movements, including Black Lives Matter and Every Child Matters.
Under the UN’s Convention on the Rights of the Child — which is almost universally ratified — children have the right to participate in decisions that affect them.
Lowering the voting age is one way to provide a formal process for decision-making and accountability by elected representatives. In fact, the right to vote is a human right, protected by domestic and international law.
2. Could fuel political engagement
Lowering the age to a time when young people are enrolled in high school civics classes could increase formal political participation and strengthen democracy.
Despite the political consciousness and engagement of children and young people, there is still widespread apathy and declining participation among young adult voters.
Research across jurisdictions that have introduced under-18 voting indicates that the impact is “often positive in terms of political engagement and civic attitudes.”
3. Would align with other age minimums
The current voting age does not align with the minimum age of many other activities that require maturity and judgment, such as driving, consensual sex and paid work.
Most tellingly, the age of criminal responsibility in Canada is 12 under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.
If children as young as 12 are considered mature enough to be held criminally responsible for their actions, why can’t 16-year-olds vote?
If children can work and pay taxes, why don’t they have a say in how their taxes are spent?
These contradictions highlight adult-centric norms and everyday age discrimination manifested in arbitrary, chronological age cut-offs.
4. Would eradicate ageist assumptions
Ageist assumptions against those under 18 mirror historically sexist and racist arguments to disenfranchise women and Indigenous people.
One such argument is that those under the age of 18 lack the cognitive, emotional and moral maturity to vote. However, psychological research suggests that young people have adult-level cognitive capacity by age 16.
Others argue that parents will influence their children’s voting behaviour. But some studies indicate that peers, rather than adults, have greater influence over political behaviour and socialization. Results from Student Vote Canada, while not representative, show different voting outcomes for the 2021 election among students versus the official results.
Some might argue that people under the age of 18 lack sufficient knowledge about policies and democracy to make informed decisions.
However, many Canadian adults also lack basic civic literacy. Adult voters are not necessarily more informed about policy issues than young people when making political choices.
Voting rights in Canada have changed over time to become more inclusive. Challenging age discrimination in Canada’s election system could be the next step in expanding and strengthening our democracy.
Christina Clark-Kazak is Associate Professor of Public and International Affairs at L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa.
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Judy says
I understood why letting 18-year-old vote (after all they can join the military and protect this great country!). However, a 16-year-old? Teachers today have just too much influence on young children with their one-sided political agenda. This is just one more ploy by the left to get votes.
Concerned Citizen says
If you can enlist at 17 you should be able to vote at 17.
Mark says
Only with a parent’s permission.
Fredrick says
Did you see the article over the weekend about some 16 and 17 year olds taking turns shooting each other while wearing a “bullet proof” vest. Yes, let’s let them vote…. good idea…. Their parents should not be allowed to vote either.
Dennis C Rathsam says
No way, A sixteen year old is still a child, they maybe teenagers but they dont realize the gravity of this power. Let kids be kids. 18 is the proper age, not 16. These kids have enough in their lives, with going to High School, Sports or just hanging out with friends. Let them enjoy the final stages of adulthood, before they are off to collage or into the work force.
mike says
OK as long as there charged as adult’s for crime’s committed
Mark says
How many 16 year olds are making their own way in the world? Maybe politicians shouldn’t be robbing children of their earned money by taxing them. Taking civics classes? You really mean indoctrination classes.Most of these kids can’t explain how a law is passed let alone the consequences of these laws.
MikeM says
Sixteen year old kids cant even make change without a calculator. Why should they be entrusted with voting. This is only a ploy for the blue side to gain more votes after molding these kids minds with CRT and the 1619 project. The age group below 18 doesn’t have enough life experience to be able to make any rational decisions about government elections. The author of this piece is a way left leaning loon.
A Concerned Observer says
This is a late April Fools Joke, right?
Land of no turn signals says says
They are recording themselves eating Tidepods and having them vote is a good idea?
C’mon man!! says
Just want we need. Some pimple faced 16 year old who just started puberty voting voting on key issues they know nothing about.
Sherry says
The comments here are right on! Personally, I would like to see the voting age moved to 21, with an exception for those serving in the military at 18.
Sherry says
Meanwhile. . . Look, I finally found that “Voter Fraud” the Republicans have been screaming about. . . OOPS! OMG! It’s trump’s “Chief of Staff” Mark Meadows:
Last month, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that its special investigations unit was investigating allegations that Mark Meadows registered to vote in 2020 at a home where he never resided. The investigation is being carried out in conjunction with the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
The investigation followed a report in The New Yorker magazine that Meadows registered to vote weeks before the 2020 election at a mobile home in Macon County, where he allegedly never lived or even visited.
The article quoted the unnamed former owner of the McConnell Road property in Scaly Mountain as saying that Meadows’ wife “reserved the house for two months at some point within the past few years — she couldn’t remember exactly when — but only spent one or two nights there” and that Meadows himself had never even “spent a night in there.”
Debra Meadows remains registered to vote in Macon County at the Scaly Mountain address, according to Thibault.
Davew says
Uhhhh NO…in the words of John McEnroe..You Cannot be serious!!!!